Railroad signaling mechanism



(No Model.)

. J. P. DUNN.

Railroad Signaling Mechanism. No. 242,614. Patented June 7,1881.

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J. PARIS DUNN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FRANCIS O. HARM'STAD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

RAIL ROAD SIGNALING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,614, dated June '7, 1881.

Application filed April 4, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J. PARIS DUNN, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Block-Si gnalin g Mechanism, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device especially adapted to elevated and other railroads, where the stations are but a short distance apart, for announcing to approaching trains whether the track is clear or occupied, and thereby to prevent all collisions.

The invention consists of a combination of levers or cams, connecting chains or rods, springs, and signals, arrangedat the sides of a track in such a manner that each passing train will in succession set two signals in its rear, and then dropthefirstone set, in each instance dropping the first signal set only when the said train has got far enough ahead of the second signal set for a following train to advance with safety. 7

Figure l is a plan of a railroad-track with my improved signaling mechanism attached. Fig. 2 is a. side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the reverse of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre: ponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the road-bed or trestle-work; B, the rails, and O the guardrails.

In what is known as the block system for operating railways the entire line is divided into short sections known as blocks, and ordinarily a train is not admitted by signal into one such block or section until a preceding train shall have left it or the block in advance, the lines dividing the track into such blocks at D showing in Fig. 1 two full blocks and portions of two others.

On the under side of the floorin g A of the road-bed A is pivoted, in staples or boxes (I, a

' rectangular crank-lever,-E, the extremity of the weighted end I) of which projects upward between the rails 13, through an opening, 0, made in the flooring A, while the opposite end, (1, projects upward outside of the guardrail 0, within reach of an arm or rod that is designed to project from the side of the engine that draws the train.

The weighted end I) of the lever E may be made heavy by the attachment of a weight, as shown at f, or this end b of the said lever E may be made primarily heavier than the other end. On this end I) a signal, 9, is fixed, of any desired form and color. The end (I of this lever E extends parallel with the rail B, and has its extremity bent down, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it shall not offer any obstacle to a backing train. On the opposite side of the opening 0 from said end (I, and on the under side of the flooring A, and parallel with the rails B,

a dog, F, is secured, by screws or bolts h that pass through its slots 1', so that said dog F can move longitudinally the length of its slots i.

At one side of the dog F a straight lever, G, is pivoted to the flooring A on a pivot, k. One end of said lever G is pivoted to the deg F, and to the other end is secured a spring, F, that is also made fast to the under side of the flooring A, and by its tension holds the beveled end of the dog F against the end I) of the lever E, and to this end of the lever G is also attached a rod or chain, 11, which is extended forward parallel with the track nearly from one station, D, to another, and is at its extreme end passed under a sheave, l, and then made fast to an end of a rectangular cranklever, I, that is journaled in staples or boxes m on the under side of the flooring A. The other end of this lever I extends upward outside of the guard-rail 0, within reach of an arm or rod that is designed to project from the side of the engine that draws the train,and extends a short distance parallel with the rails B, and has its free end bent down, as shown, so that it shall not offer any obstacle to a backing train. At or near the end of each blockis a lever, E, setting a signal to danger, and 0 at the beginning of each block is a lever, I, which resets a signal to safety. Such lever I is located far enough in advance of each lever E for a train to come to a stop between it and the lastlever E set. As thus constructed, one train will be able to pass beyond the last signal of a block before dropping the signal of the block next preceding, so preventing a following train from coming nearer the first than one bloeks distance. In other words, in case a following or second train runs over a set signal it may havetime to stop before colliding with the train in advance of it. In each instance a rod or chain, H, extends from one lever, G, past the next lever I and attachments, and also the next lever G and attachments, to be connected with the succeeding or second lever I, so that the contact of an engine, or of an arm or roller extending from an engine, with a lover, I, operates always the second lever G back from it-the train moving in the direction of the arrows in the drawings. If a chain, H, be used, springs H are introduced into it at suitable points to preserve its tension. A train having arrived at a lever, E, will, by means of an arm or roller (not shown) projecting from the engine, have struck the upper end, (I, of the lever E, and will have forced said end down and the opposite end up to where it will rest on dog F, which is thrown under it by the action of the spring F, which action also elevates the lever I, to which it is connected by chain H. \Vhen it gets far enough beyond the station for afollowin g train to enter the block in rear of said station it will, by means of an arm or roller (not shown) projecting from the engine, strike the upper end of the next lever I, and will thereby force said end down, and the opposite end also down, whereby the chain or rod H that is connected with the second lever Gin rear of the said lever I is drawn forward with the effect of withdrawing the beveled end of the dog F from beneath the elbow of its lever E, so that the said lever E shall fall by means of its weighted end I), so as to present no obstruction to the following train of cars, and so as to indicate to the engineer of this following train that the preceding train has left the station ahead and that the block intervening is open to him. The first train proceeding on its way comes to the next lever E that is located between stations, and if this lever E is up, exhibiting its signal 1, the engineer on seeing it will know that a still preceding train is on the track and has not left the block ahead; and should the engineer not see the signal 9 (said signal g being up) his engine will come in contact with said signal g, or with the weighted end b of the lever E, whereby the attention of said engineer will be called to the fact, so that he may stop his train, it being designed that an arm or lever connected with a bell or gong on the engine shall project downward from theengine within reach of the signal 9 when the latteris up; but if the end (I of this lever E is up the train will set said signal g in manner before described by striking lever E, and itwill then proceed until itcomes to the next lever I, which is located far enough ahead of theleverE just set so that a following train may be entitled to come to said lever E, which lever I it will press down with the effect of lowering the signal g of the second lever E behind it, thereby notifying the following train that it may proceed to the next block. As a signal 9 is lowered by the falling of the weighted end of a lever, E, because of the withdrawal of a dog, F, the curved end 11 of said lever E is raised to its normal position, so that a train passing over it will strike and force down said end (1, with the effect of setting the connected signal 9, and at the same time of throwing up the up per end of the lever I that is in advance. Thus it will be seen that each train on passing a lever, E, sets a signal to danger, and before said signal can be dropped again to permit the passage of a following train it will have passed and have set a second signal E to danger.

The train drops a signal, g, by means of the lever or cam I placed at the side of the track and attached or connected with the signal g by wire or chain H. The lever or cam I is designed to be operated by an arm or roller attached to the engine, and when the lever or cam I is so moved the withdrawal of the dog F permits the weighted or signal end of the lever E to drop of its own weight.

By the adoption of this device all collisions between trains moving in one direction may be avoided.

The levers I E and their connections may be located at the most convenient places along the track, and may be arranged in numbers and positions best suited for the purposes for which they are designed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An improved railroad signaling mechanism constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of weighted lever E, provided with signal g, sliding dog F, springactuated lever G, rod or chain H, and lever I, arranged and operated as set forth.

2. In a railroad signaling mechanism, the combination, with the weighted crank-lever E, of the sliding dog F and attached spring-actuated lever Gr, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby said lever E is held with its weighted end set up, as set forth.

J. PARIS DUNN.

' Witnesses:

I. I. Sronnn, G. SEDGWICK.

IIO 

